Caddis Sunset – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Hot, dry weather continues to be the story of the summer of 17.

We’ve been seeing highs in the 90’s for what seems like months now with no cooling trend in sight. Evenings have been pleasant however with temps dropping into the high 50’s making early morning the time to be on the water if you want to beat the heat.

Traffic has dropped off considerably which means it’s time to entice you with our Dog Days of Summer special to get you back on the MO’. Now through the end of August book a night of lodging and a full day guide trip and get a second night of lodging for free.

The fishing reports have been a mixed bag but it seems the consensus is that things have slowed down out there. Nymphing in particular has gotten tougher. It’s been good in the early morning most days and slower during height of the day as you would expect though even the mornings have been tough the last couple of days. Dam to Wolf Creek Bridge has been the preferred location for nymphing as of late and #18 Tungsten Black Zebra Midges have been the bug of choice but we’ve also had limited success with purple lighting bugs, green machines, Peep Shows, PT’s and S & M’s. Reports from lower down indicate the crayfish could be a good call, depending on the day. Regardless of where you go, expect weeds and pay close attention to keeping your bugs weed free.

Dry fly fishing has been consistently good with plenty of Tricos about and plenty of fish keyed in to them. Presentation is always important here on the Missouri but perhaps never as important as it is right now. A good reach cast and a perfect drift will get you hooked up but the hookup is only half the battle. Indicator spinners, midge clusters, Griffiths gnats and double wing tricos have all been good options.

There are plenty of caddis around though finding fish feeding on them can sometimes be a challenge. Outriggers, Blooms Hi-Vis, Cornfed and CDC Caddis Emergers will fool a lot of fish.

Streamers? Not the best time of year for stripping with the weeds and all but still worth your time in the right spots. Hoppers? Absolutely. You may only get an eat or two on that hopper rig but one hopper eat equals a dozen bobber drops in my book.

Lodging has opened up and we have plenty of availability both for guides and lodging through around the middle of September. It’s hot, it’s a little weedy, it’s a little smoky but it’s still an awesome place to be. The fishing could be challenging but so what? It’s fishing. A day on the Missouri River casting to rising trout and taking in miles of breath taking scenery ? What could be better? It’s time to lower those expectations and rise to the challenge of late summer fly fishing on the Missouri.

It’s also the perfect time to book yourself a day on the nearby Blackfoot to experience something completely different from the MO’. It’s what many consider to be the quintessential Montana fly fishing experience. You’ll catch more and bigger fish on the MO’ but the scenery is something completely different and it doesn’t get much better than throwing big bugs to eager cutties. Book a day on the Blackfoot with WCA today.

Give us a call for up to the minute river conditions and fishing reports and make us your first stop on the way to the river for shuttles, bugs, drift boat rentals and all things Missouri River Fly Fishing and beyond.